Once the 'Burning Knowledge' landed on our next planet, I disembarked from it. A few other Emeralds, mostly green with one or two lemon-yellow Emeralds that I could see, had also disembarked alongside me. We had all been assigned to Pink Diamond. A quick head count showed that we were only… Six. And counting me, we were seven.
I sighed at that fact. Four of the Emeralds assigned to Pink Diamond were Logistics officers. And besides me being a Fleet Officer, we only had two others. My batchmates all had awkward faces, everyone had heard the rumors about Pink Diamond. How problematic and childish she could be, even if dubiously competent. Still, it pained us, especially the Lemon Emeralds that I could see.
We didn't expect the Pink Diamond of all Diamonds. The three of us were Yellow, after all. So why were we assigned to Pink?
''C'mon, Batch. Gotta group up in the Warp Pad. No point in wasting time trying to take a ship to Pink Diamond's Colony.'' I told my batchmates, and they all looked at each other unsurely.
''Shouldn't we recruit our Units first before going to Pink Diamond's Colony?'' The other Lemon Emerald, the only Yellow besides me being a Fleet Officer questioned and I just shook my head.
''5Z9, there's no point in recruiting in this colony. Not only haven't we even been assigned our ships, but we also don't even know if we can recruit any gems in this colony. Pink Diamond will give us our ships and from there we can recruit our crews and divisions.'' I responded, and the two Fleet Officers nodded in understanding, the Logi officers were just awkwardly standing around.
''Alright, let's go.'' I said as I started walking around looking for the Warp Pad, my batchmates doing the same.
-
''Emerald Facet-9F2L Cut-5Z3, also known as Mustard Emerald. You have been assigned to… Pink Diamond? Alright. Step up to the pad, and think of Pink's Colony. Warp Pad will take care of the rest.'' The olive-colored Peridot nodded to herself as she looked at a holopad, she was only a head shorter than me, but… She was… cute? I felt different looking at her.
I just nodded, even if I felt a slight orange blush coming at my face before I stepped up to the Warp Pad. It activated, and I just thought of Pink's Colony, after I spent a second to clear my mind from that Olive Peridot. I'm also pretty sure I'm now Mustard Emerald, great.
And in a flash of light, I disappeared into, what I could only describe as a network and spider web of light tunnels. It was disorienting, at first, and when it finally ended I was standing in a completely different environment. Two Pink, no, Rose, Quartz stood near me and they blinked in curiosity as they saw me.
''Huh, a Yellow Emerald. Haven't seen a Yellow Emerald before, have you Quartz?'' The forehead gem Quartz questioned the other Quartz who had her gem at her shoulder, and she shook her head in reply. ''Nope, Rose. First time I see one as well. Uh, welcome to Pink's Colony! Or the Galaxy Warp pad.'' She said before saluting, which I returned, before I stepped off the Warp Pad, or the Galaxy Warp pad, as the Quartz said its name was.
''I am Mustard Emerald. I have been assigned to Pink Diamond as one of her Fleet Admirals. Where, uh, do I go to meet her?'' I asked, as I distractedly noted the Warp Pad activating again, and the rest of my Batchmates arriving as well.
''Woah, more Emeralds. Welcome to Pink's Colony, as for finding, Our Diamond… Uh, Rose, you know where she is?'' Quartz asked, and Rose hummed for a moment before… Snapping her fingers… Why? Do Gems snap their fingers?
''She should be in the Garden, either playing with Spinel or just doing Diamond duties.'' Rose replied, and I nodded.
My Batchmates had already stepped off the Warp Pad and quietly filed themselves next to me… I really hope I didn't become the Fleet Commander.
''How do we get there? We have all been assigned to Pink Diamond, is it located somewhere in the Colony or…?'' I trailed off, and Rose and Quartz nodded at me, ''Just take the Warp Pad and think of Pink Diamond's Garden. If she isn't there you can come back here, she uses the Galaxy Warp a lot so it's only a matter of time before you meet her.'' Quartz said and I nodded, which for some reason had made them giggle…
My batchmates nodded at the same time I did, didn't they?
With a sigh, I stepped back into the Warp Pad, my Batchmates following along, ''I know we synched a lot, but please don't do that in front of Pink Diamond. It's embarrassing.'' I said and I only received chuckles from the other Emeralds, before we were all teleported to Pink Diamond's Garden.
-
Teleporting into Pink Diamond's Garden, we definitely had the same thought. This place was unkept and unmaintained. Is Pink Diamond really here? This didn't look like a place a Diamond would spend their time in. I looked around, the other Emeralds doing the same before Lemon Emerald spoke, ''Should we split up to find, Our Diamond?'' Lemon Emerald asked, and I just shrugged.
''Better than just standing around doing nothing. Be careful and don't touch anything. They might be fragile or something.'' I explained before I started walking around the garden, the other Emeralds exploring in different directions.
I did the same, walking the path and occasionally staring at the sky, or lack of it. There was a dome, or I assumed there was, maybe an atmosphere, I didn't know. But some of the planets were making my mind hiss at me as if I was remembering something long forgotten. I was so focused on remembered what the hell I was forgetting that I didn't notice when I bumbed into something-someone. ''Oh! Ah, sorry. I was preoccupied with my thoughts.'' I said to the pink… Heart-shaped Gem? I didn't know we could have such a unique shape.
''That's alright! Can I help you though? You seem a little lost!'' She giggled, and I nodded before introducing myself, ''I am Mustard Emerald, I was assigned to be Pink Diamond's Fleet Officer. Would you know where she is? And why are you standing still?'' I asked as I realized she hadn't moved an inch from the moment I bumped into her to now, only her eyes and mouth moved but even then I could tell she didn't move her head an inch.
''Oh! Pink's at her brand spanking new Colony! And I'm Spinel, I'm playing a game you see, Pink Diamond said that if I move an inch I'll lose! And I love playing with Pink Diamond, so I can't lose! That would be bad!'' Spinel giggled, and I frowned for a moment.
''I see. I'll have to gather the other Emeralds then. How long have you been staying still anyway? This place looks abandoned and unkempt.'' I questioned, and her smile twitched for a moment before she replied happily.
''250 Years! Or three-thousand months, thirteen-thousand weeks, ninety-one thousand and two hundred and fifty days, two million and a hundred and ninety hours, and a hundred thirty-one million four thousand minutes, seven billion and eight hundred and eighty-four thousand seconds! And counting!'' She happily told me and I froze for a moment as I processed how… How utterly long that was.
I was only 26 years old! 18 as a human, but still! That's two entire lifes in human years!
''I don't think Pink remembers about your… Game, Spinel. Not after such a long length of time.'' I say and she laughs at me.
''Pink Diamond would never forget about me! I'm her greatest playmate! And you're just trying to make me lose!'' She looked at me with a playfully mean face, to which I just returned with a worried frown.
''If you say so. I can see you're deadset on not moving from there, but… Would you mind if I visited? I can't imagine how lonely it would get to stand still for two hundred and fifty years.'' I asked, and I could see her almost making a shrugging motion, but she still didn't move an inch.
''Feel free to come around! Pink Diamond Garden is a place to relax, and is open to all Gems!'' She happily said, and I just nodded.
Why was she familiar to me? I ignored the thought before I bid her farewell and went around the Garden looking for the other Emeralds. This… This place was depressing, and I was now wary of Pink Diamond. Who orders someone to stand still for 250 years? And never comes to visit them? I know she or anyone else didn't come by, I could literally see the dust prints and cleaner spots from us Emeralds walking around. So why was she here? And for so long?
'Was I right to worry and not want to be assigned to Pink Diamond?' I thought before I shook those thoughts away. I couldn't change or be assigned to another Diamond. And if I asked for it… I'm unsure if Pink would even be willing. And worse comes, I'll be shattered. Which is not something I want my 'phylactery' to undergo.